An East High Story Twist on A Cinderella Story
by yeajixneji
Summary: Have you ever seen A Cinderella Story? Well this is a twist with HSM characters! Gabriella and Troy have been penpals for five years but never met, until a masquerade ball changes everything. Crappy summary, but great story! Please read! Troyella!
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time…

_East High's annual winter formal was around the corner and everyone was excited. The nerds, jocks, preps, drama geeks, and even the emo kids were all joined together at the fact that all anyone would talk about was the upcoming winter formal. And everyone waited in anticipation, wondering who the basketball star, Troy Bolton and his posse was going to ask to the upcoming event… _

"Students of East High School, we have an unexpected twist to our winter formal this year." said the intercom in homeroom, only one week away from the dance.

Everyone groaned this was bad news.

"Our dance this year will be a masquerade!" Said Principal Matsui excitedly, "Everyone will be required to wear a mask to hide their face and no dates allowed."

As soon as the intercom clicked off the classroom filled with talk.

"WHAT?" Sharpay screamed at the top of her lungs in the drama class room. Her brother Ryan covered his ears and sighed, he knew he would have deal with this more at home.

But Gabriella and Taylor eyed each other, sighing with relief they both didn't have dates and now they did have to worry about it.

"OMG Troy, can you believe this?" Jessica, head cheerleader at East High and date to Troy Bolton for winter formal, squealed, "We are so going together anyways!"

"Yeah, whatever…" Troy said absentmindedly. Honestly Troy didn't care about the stupid dance. It was just another dance there were plenty more to come.

His mind was far away, thinking about this girl. He had met a girl as a pen pal; in the sixth grade, and for five years they had written letters, and eventually started sending texts and emails. He didn't even know her real name or the school she went to. But they told each other all their deepest secrets and were best friends.

At first they had begun as strangers, then friends, and then best friends, and now… he was totally and completely in love with her. Not that he would ever tell her. People say that you can't have a relationship with someone you've never met, but she was something different. He always tried to set up a meeting, but she was the one who always refused, he sighed, it was a chick thing. He had always wondered why she refused to meet him… was she hideously ugly or was a guy pretending to be a girl? Troy shook the thought out of his head, she probably had a really good reason… just as Troy was thinking this his phone vibrated, and he smiled.

_**Brains&Beauty: **__Hello! _

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__Hey, just thinking about you._

_**Brains&Beauty: **__Me? Good things I hope._

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__Wondering why you won't meet me… Wanna here my new Theory? I think that you are a boy, disguising as a girl! _

_**Brains&Beauty: **__What?! LOL! I checked I was a female! _

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__Good. I can check that off my list. _

_**Brains&Beauty: **__Hey, don't forget the pact we made 5 years ago! _

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__I know, I know. No Meetings, No Pictures, No real name, No really school. Come on! Its been fiver years! _

_**Brains&Beauty: **__We talked about this! I just don't feel ready. It's a "chick thing"._

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__Fine… g2g. talk to you later._

Troy sighed and picked up his books, and headed to second period.

Gabriella, put her phone back in her pocket and sighed. She was IMing her pen pal BASKETBALLboi, and she was feeling pressured into meeting him. But there was no way in hell. He was the most popular boy at his school, the basketball star, he had tons of girlfriends, and always went to parties, his life was fun and exciting. Unlike hers. She was the biggest nerd at her school and she was constantly moving, and didn't really have any close friends, much less a boyfriend. She had only been at East High for two months now and only had two friends. Taylor McKessie who was her best friends at East High and was part of the Decathlon Team with her and Sharpay Evans, even though they had their differences they had a fun time in the drama club together.

She was afraid that once BASKETBALLboi met he would lose interest in her, and never speak to her again. She could never let that happen, because somewhere along the five years, she fell in love. Not that she would ever tell him that.

_**I know this one is pretty short! But I hope You like it! Continue reading and write reveiws please! More to come if people say they like it! :) PEACE! **_


	2. Chapter 2

"Gabby

"Gabby!" Sharpay practically screamed to a slightly startled Gabriella in fourth period Drama. "Can you believe this new rule? No Dates? I think I'll call daddy!"

Gabriella laughed, "You daddy can't do anything about this Sharpay. Money doesn't solve everything."

"Well that's not what my daddy says…" Sharpay pouted. "Anyways… did you find your dream dress yet?"

"Nope." Gabriella said, "I don't even know yet if I'm going for sure…"

"What? Why?" Sharpay said, "Let me guess the evil soon to be step father?"

"He is not evil… just slightly dull and mean." Gabriella sighed; she honestly didn't know why her mother was getting married to Dr. Henry. (Yea he made her call him) He was completely dull and pretty much hated her. He always made her work at his office after school, he said it was for "for her own good" but she saw the evil twinkle in his eye. But her mom completely in love him with this man didn't see that he was using her. But at this point she would never listen to her and just swoon over how fun and smart and stuff.

"Gosh we are totally going shopping after school today!" Sharpay squealed bring her back from her thoughts.

"That sounds like fun, but I have to go into the office today. Plus I have like no money on me." Gabriella replied.

"No worries, you can skip for one day. And as for the dress, that is on me. For being my shopping advisor for the day." Sharpay said.

"You know what? I deserve a break, I'll go, but you don't have to buy me a dress… I can just go later." Gabriella said excitedly, she felt like dangerous, never had she once before disobeyed anyone, it was giving her quite a thrill.

--

Sweat glistened from Troy's face as he made the last free throw shot of the day. Basketball practice was finally over.

"Troy! I need to talk to you. Office. NOW." Coach Bolton, aka Troy's dad called.

"Yea, dad… um coach." Troy said as he walked into the office.

"We have a basketball game Friday, against the Fighting Bears this Friday." Coach said with a serious face.

"Yea I know." Troy said, wondering where this was going.

"Well your not going to be playing." Coach said sternly.

"WHAT?!" Troy yelled.

Coach threw a white envelope in front of Troy, "Open it." He said.

Troy opened it, it was his monthly grade check:

**English: **+C

**Pre-Calculus: ****F**

**Biology: **-A

**Drama: **+B

**Marketing: **A

**Free Period: **N/A

He saw the big fat read F; he forgot he was failing pre-calculus, which meant until he got that grade up to and passing he would not be able to play basketball.

"Well lucky you, Mrs. Darbus said that he was a student willing to tutor you during her class as long as you come in for every performance next weekend during the spring musical as an extra stage help." Coach said, "This girl, Gabriella, is the smartest people in the whole school, she not messing around, don't screw this one up. You meet with her tomorrow during fourth period."

Troy groaned, what could be worse than spending a period with this nerd girl Gabriella, that was so not good for this rep.

--

"SO… Where have _we _been this afternoon." Said "Dr. Henry" When Gabriella entered the house that evening.

"Shopping with my friend Sharpay," Gabriella said defiantly.

"Did you it slip you pretty little head that you were supposed to be at my office today?" Said Dr. Henry in an evil way.

"No, I just chose not to go." Gabriella felt good, never had she defied an adult. She felt a little more courage with every word. "And I don't think you should expect me anymore. I quit."

Gabriella could see how pissed Dr. Henry was, his face was reaching a new shade of red, so red it was almost purple. Gabriella's mom came into the room.

"WHAT? QUIT? SAYS WHO?" Dr. Henry yelled.

This mad Gabriella furious, he had no right to yell at her. He was not her father. "I never volunteered to work for you in the first place. I am sick of that small office and the smell of stale coffee! You're not even a doctor! I don't even know why anyone calls you **Dr. **Henry! Working for you is a waste of MY LIFE!" Gabriella said, she was heated.

"WHAT! YOU AROGANT SPOILED BRAT! HOW DARE YOU! I SEE YOUR MOTHER DIDN'T RAISE YOU WELL! MILITARY SCHOOL!"

Now Gabriella was pissed, he was not going to bring her mother into this fight!

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BRING MY MOTHER INTO THIS! SHE RAISED ME PERFECTLY FINE! I HATE THE WAY YOU TREAT MY MOTHER! BOSSING HER AROUND ALL THE TIME! WELL NO MORE!" Gabriella yelled, she turned to her mother, "Mom if you marry this guy, I'm going to live with dad."

Her mother just stood there shocked. And Gabriella didn't blame her. Gabriella rarely saw her dad. Her parents had divorced when she was only three, and only saw here dad once a year for a week during summer vacation. He had remarried and had two children, and lived in Seattle, Washington. Her mother knew if she was willing to live with her dad, Gabriella had a major issue.

"WHAT THE HELL! GO UP TO YOUR ROOM! NOW!" yelled Henry.

"HELL NO! I won't listen to you!"

"Gabriella go to your room please!" her mother said quietly.

"But mom…" Gabriella said in a faint whisper.

"Gabriella go… please."

Gabriella slowly started the long walk to her room. She felt like crying, but she wouldn't cry in front of him, that would mean that he won, but this war was far from over.

--

_**Brains&Beauty: **__I had THE worst day of my freaking life._

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__Well my day wasn't that great either._

_**Brains&Beauty: **__You first. _

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__I fount out I'm failing Pre-Calc. which means probation from basket ball till my grades get better! :( _

_**Brains&Beauty: **__Aw. I'm sorry! I think I'm going to live with my dad and in Seattle _

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__What I thought you and your mom had a great relationship! _

_**Brains&Beauty: **__We do, it my mom's fiancé that is the problem._

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__I wish I could offer advice but I've never been in your situation. _

_**Brains&Beauty: **__Just knowing I have you to listen to my problems is enough._

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__Yea, me too… i… l… _

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__never mind. I have to go… dinner time. I'll talk you again before bed. Bye._

_**Brains&Beauty: **__wait… _

_**BASKETBALLboi signed off 7:02 PM.**_

Troy sat at his computer, his face was hot and red. He couldn't believe he almost told her how he felt about her… He couldn't let his emotions take control. After all if she had even a glimmer of feelings for him, she would want to meet him right?

Gabriella, sat in her chair reading her IM over and over agin. "_Yea, me too… i… l…" _Did he mean he loved her? She sighed and closed her lap top, that would make her life perfect, the guy she loved, felt the same way. But everyone knew that nobody's life was perfect, that was only in fairy tales.


	3. Chapter 3

Morning seemed to come too quickly for Gabriella, she groaned, and stretched out to turn off her alarm

Morning seemed to come too quickly for Gabriella, she groaned, and stretched out to turn off her alarm. She groaned, today was not going to be a good day; she could just feel it in her bones. She looked out the window, but she was right it was rainy. She hated rain, it made her hair all frizzy and out of control, she took the rain as an omen.

She slowly got out of bed, and got ready for school. She was so disoriented and her eyes were puffy from crying… tears still came to her eyes as she remembered last night…

"_Gabby…" Her mom said, late the night before. "We need to talk..." _

"_Mom… I don't want to talk." She said stubbornly. _

"_That's just it. You never talk to me anymore." Her mom said. _

"_Mom, I just don't like him. And you know it." Gabriella said. _

"_Well, I'm happy. Isn't my choice who I love? Well Henry and I have been talking… And we __**both **__think that it is best if you live with your father in Seattle for the time being. Everything has been arranged, you won't be going back to East High in January." Her mom told her with the slightest hint of guilt in her voice. _

_Gabriella honestly didn't know what to say, she was too stunned. Her own mother had gone over to the dark side. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but she bit the inside of her cheek, she was not going to show weakness. _

"_So is that how it's going to be?" Gabriella said in a cold voice. _

_Gabriella's mom looked shocked, she had expected Gabriella to cry out to rebel, but her calm cold voice scared her. "Yes or you can go apologize to Henry." _

"_I think I would rather drop dead." Gabriella said with the same cold voice, and then she grabbed her ipod shoving the ear phones into her ears, and listened to some angry screamo music, and turned her back to her mother, and she saw from the corner of her eye her mom leaving the room. _

_And that was when she had cried. _

"Gabby are you alright?" Taylor asked in first period.

Gabriella looked up from behind her calculus book, "Why do you think something's wrong?"

"Gabby, you're reading your calculus book; you only do that when you're depressed." Taylor said eyeing the heavy text book. "What's wrong?"

Gabriella looked are her friend, she was so caring and nice… so there were nice people in the world after all… and she broke down, and cried her eyes out right there and then, in first period calculus. And she told Taylor the whole story.

Troy was dreading 4th period, he sighed he didn't want to be spend his fun period being tutored by some nerd. He sat in the library where he was told to meet this Gabriella girl. He racked his brain, trying to think if he had every any classes with her, but he usually never strayed from his group of friends, even if she was in one of his classes before, he probably never talked to her before.

I petite girl, wearing jeans, nikes, and an oversized East High sweater came in, and when she saw Troy she headed for where he was sitting. He sighed a breath of relief, so at least she didn't dress like a nerd. He began to think that this was going to be bearable.

"Hi, I'm Gabriella." She said as she introduced herself as she held out her hand.

"I'm Troy." He said as he shook her hand.

She took a seat next to him. He eyed the heavy calculus book that she set down on the table, so she was nerd…

"Okay let's get to work." She said with a smile.

But that smile made Troy feel sad, her smile seemed so fake, like she was trying really hard to make herself and everyone else believe that she was okay. Then he realized that her eyes were swollen and red from hours of crying.

"Are you okay?" Troy asked her.

Gabriella was shocked… she didn't now how to answer that question… she had thought Troy was some stupid jock, but had he realized that she was an utter mess? But a monkey would be able to realize that, her face showed all. "I'm fine." She replied, faking another smile. She opened the Pre-cal book, math always distracted her from her pain, and it was her high.

**BASKETBALLboi: **hey! How was your day : : :

**Brains&Beauty: **...

**BASKETBALLboi: **I'm guessing it wasn't that great…

**Brains&Beauty: **...

**BASKETBALLboi: **… your really starting to worry me…

**Brains&Beauty: **...

**BASKETBALLboi: **Is everything alright??

**Brains&Beauty: **... no…

**BASKETBALLboi: **tell me about. I'm all ears…

**Brains&Beauty: **I'm moving to Seattle after winter break…

**BASKETBALLboi: **What? Your mom agreed to this?

**Brains&Beauty: **I think it was her idea…

**Brains&Beauty: **Its like because of Henry she's a whole new person. I don't even know who she is anymore… I want my mom back.

**BASKETBALLboi: **I wish I could help you out…

**Brains&Beauty: **Just tell me about your day… make me laugh like you always do. Make me smile…

Gabby smiled, she really smiled, and her heart did a little flutter. He really did care; he was making a genuine effort to make her smile and laugh, even though he wasn't very funny. It was already three o'clock in the morning. She lied back onto her bed after she called it a night. She imagined him, he was tall and handsome, and he had an athletic build and a smile that reached his eyes. His hand was warm and rough with calluses from basketball. She smiled, and slowly fell asleep.

Gabriella dreamed that night.

She was at her winter formal, it was dark and she was in the middle of the dance floor in a beautiful white dress, a simple strapless dress that flowed to the ground, that hugged her body in every right way, and intricate beading detailed the dress. All her friends, teachers and classmates circled her, and a boy stepped out of the crowd. She knew who it was; it was her pen pal of five years. He was dressed in a plain black tux with a plain black tux, but he outshined every guy in the room. He took a bow asking her for a dance, like in a romantic classic, and she took his hand and they dance all night.

In her sleep she smiled. But what she didn't know was that about ten miles away in a different neighborhood, Troy Bolton was having the exact same dream, and he smiled too just the same way she did.

I'm soooo sorry that this one took so long to write. I'll try to be more efficient! Keep reading and please review, its my motivation to write! :' peace.


	4. Chapter 4

After school Gabriella went straight to the mall

After school Gabriella went straight to the mall. Usually she preferred the nice quiet atmosphere of the library, but today Sharpay and Taylor had dragged her to the mall, because it was Sharpay's philosophy that shopping solved all problems.

Gabriella was exhausted, she had dark circles under her eyes and he eyes were red from lack of sleep and crying every night. She hadn't really talked to her mother in about a week now, and of course Henry didn't even look her direction. She really missed talking to her mom, they used to have such a great relationship, it seemed that her family was quickly falling apart before her own eyes.

But once she did fall asleep she had that same dream of the winter formal, her dancing with her pen pal, in that beautiful gown. She sighed and looked for Taylor and Sharpay, noticing there were no where in sight. She slowly got up and went into the dress store straight ahead of her, remembering Sharpay saying something about a dress for the dance.

Gabriella was blinded by all the colors and different types of dresses. She could see Sharpay squealing and bouncing around with a bright pink dress on, gushing about how much she loved it. Gabriella went in the opposite direction she didn't want to deal with pretending to care, she absent mindedly flicked through some of the dresses on the clearance rack.

All of a sudden, her hand just stopped, Gabriella was shocked by this involuntary movement of her right hand. The dress that her hand had stopped at has shoved way into the back, and as she pulled it out, she knew, it was the dress from her dreams.

She could hardly breathe? Was she dreaming? How could a dress that she dreamed of actually be right in front of her right now?

She felt the soft silk fabrics, and the intricate beading, and perfect shade of creamy white. She looked at the price tag, and gasped. Even though it was on clearance it was still 780 dollars! She sadly reached to put it back, until a hand reached and grabbed it from her.

"Gabby! This is gorgeous! It will look absolutely perfect on you! You have to try it on!" squealed Sharpay. And she took her by the hand and led her to the dressing room.

Gabriella tried, what choice did she have?

It fit her perfectly, the waist, bust, and length fit so perfectly you could've said it was made for her. She walked out to show Taylor and Sharpay.

They were speechless.

"Gabs, you look beautiful…" Taylor said in awe.

"I'm speechless. That is one dress…" Sharpay said, using an normal voice for once in her life.

And Gabriella looked at her own reflection, she really did look beautiful. But looking at the price tag she knew this dress could never be hers, she ran back into the dressing room and changed as quickly as possible, and ran out of the store in tears.

* * *

"You are completely hopeless in math." Gabriella said, at the end of 4th period.

Troy ran his hand through his hair, which he did when he was frustrated. "This trig thing is impossible!"

Gabriella sighed, math had always just come easily to her, and it was frustrating that she never had enough time to teach him thoroughly and by the next day he had already forgotten everything.

"How about you come to my house after school today? Then you can teach me until I understand this stuff." Troy said.

Gabriella smiled; she took any reason to just get out of her house. "Yea, that sounds great."

"Meet me in front of the school parking lot, I know you don't have a car, and I'm bad at giving directions so we'll just study right after school." He said while packing up his books.

"Alright," Gabriella said, doing the same.

"Until then Montez."

"Until then Bolton."

* * *

Gabriella waited in front of the school parking lot, waiting for Troy. His Black Nissan 350z pulled up in front of her, "Get in." he said simply.

Gabriella opened the door, and she could feel someone death glare her, she turned around to see Jessica and her ring of cheerleading followers all give her the evil eye. Gabriella just shrugged it off and got in.

The Bolton house was huge; it had its own basketball court and everything.

"Mom, this is Gabriella Montez, she's the one whose been tutoring me in precal." Troy said introducing Gabriella to his mother.

"Nice to meet you Gabriella, I hope he's not too much trouble," said Mrs. Bolton.

"Absolutely not," Gabriella said with a smile, "I love helping anyone who needs it."

"Won't you stay for dinner? We're having pasta." Mrs. Bolton said.

"I don't want to be any trouble."

"Absolutely not! We would love to have you stay for dinner, right darling?" She said, eyeing Troy.

"Yea," Troy said while sighing, "We would love to have you stay for dinner Montez."

Gabriella smiled, "Sure, I would love to have dinner, Mrs. Bolton."

Then Troy lead Gabriella to his room to work, he was felt embarrassed by his mother.

This room was actually not as messy or dirty as Gabriella thought it would be. It was simple, except of the basketball posters that graced his walls, trophies that graced his book selves, and he had at least five basketballs in his room.

Gabriella sat down at the desk, and looked around as Troy went to get another chair. His computer was up, she sighed, people should turn off their computers, it was such as waste of energy. She wasn't trying to be nosey, but she was just using his internet to look at her myspace, and Troy came in behind her.

"What are you doing?" Troy asked suddenly fuming mad.

His anger startled Gabriella, "I was just… just… checking my my… myspace…" She stuttered.

"You know it rude to go on other people's computer without permission." He said, he seemed to be calming down a bit.

"I'm really sorry…" Gabriella said, she understood that he was mad, she would've been too… she had a lot of personal IMs saved and she would die if someone found them.

"Okay… I'm sorry I over reacted…" Troy said looking at Gabriella's shocked and guilt stricken face. "Lets get to work."

* * *

Troy took Gabriella home. The car was silent and awkward, Troy felt guilty about blowing up at her, but he didn't want her to know about his pen pal, it was his little secret.

"I'm sorry." They both said at the same time. "What why are you sorry? Hey stop that!"

They started to crack up.

Gabriella was near tears, it was good to laugh, and she hadn't laughed this hard in a long time. She was laughing and missed the turn to her house, and Troy had drive all the way around to get to her house.

Troy stopped outside her house.

"You're not all bad Montez." Troy said.

"Ditto Bolton." Gabriella said as she got out of the car.

"Same thing tomorrow?" Troy said.

"Yea sure." Gabriella said, and slammed the door.

She watched him drive away, sighed and went inside.

* * *

"Stay away from my boyfriend." Jessica sneered, cornering Gabriella in the girls' locker room.

"Excuse me?" Gabriella said confused.

"Stay away from Troy Bolton." Jessica said, this time one of her followers, repeating her, like in a mob movie.

"Um, I'm just tutoring him." She said.

"Yea, sure… there was no need for you to go home with him yesterday." Jessica said.

"Do you know how much he sucks as trig?" She said, this was stupid and this was just a waste of her time. "Why don't you tutor him then? I forgot you failed Precal too."

Jessica looked shocked, quiet, nerdy Gabriella Montez was talking back to her. Gabriella had been really snappy lately, she was still getting only a few hours of sleep each night, and problems with her mom weren't getting any better.

"Well just know that if you even think you have a chance with Troy… you don't." Said Brittney one of Jessica's followers.

"Didn't even cross my mind," Gabriella said as she pushed passed the group and headed for the gym.

"Nice going back there!" Taylor said, giving her a high five.

"Thanks." Gabriella said smiling weakly.

* * *

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__are you still depressed?_

_**Brains&Beauty: **__actually im feeling a little better._

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__why the sudden change in mood? _

_**Brains&Beauty: **__I snapped back at this girl who has been bullying me at school. _

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__LOL. You? _

_**Brains&Beauty: **__yea. Surprising right?_

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__im glad your feeling a little better. _

_**Brains&Beauty: **__thanks _

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__how are things at home?_

_**Brains&Beauty: **__sigh im still not talking to my mom. _

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__you have to talk to her sometime. _

_**Brains&Beauty: **__I know… _

_**Brains&Beauty: **__hey… where do you live?_

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__What? That was random! -.-;;_

_**Brains&Beauty: **__I don't know I feel courageous today…_

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__Albuquerque, New Mexico_

_**Brains&Beauty: **__O.o Really? _

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__yea… _

_**Brains&Beauty: **__I do too! _

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__That's cool. Why do you ask though? Why all of a sudden?_

_**Brains&Beauty: **__… _

_**Brains&Beauty: **__Another time. _

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__What your going to leave me hanging?_

_**Brains&Beauty: **__Dream about me tonight _

_**BASKETBALLboi: **__I dream about you every night._

_**BASKETBALLboi signed off at 11:05 PM**_

Gabriella couldn't breathe. And read the it over again and again.

"_I dream about you every night." _

What could this mean?

_**I hope everyone is enjoying it! Next story is going have a lot more of Ryan and Chad, I noticed their hardly in the story! Don't worry, it will their moment to shine! Please leave a review if you enjoyed it, or if you have any suggestions! PEACE! **_

_**-.-;; yeajixneji**_


	5. Chapter 5

Days passed without talking to her mom

Days passed without talking to her mom. Gabriella was taking more and more time away from home. She made excuses by tutoring Troy Bolton way longer than necessary. She even joined the drama club with Sharpay to stay out of the house. With the scholastic decathlon team, drama club, and tutoring Troy she didn't come home until 8 PM eating dinner at the Evans house or with the Taylors. She spent the rest of the day doing her homework, so she spent 30 minutes a day with her mom, and less than 5 minutes with Henry.

She knew that this wasn't going to help their relationship but she didn't want to even thinking about moving to her dads. She was going to avoid the 'talk' as long as she could.

"_OMG!" _Sharpay gushed over the phone. _"I swear this is freaking love!"_

"_Calm down Shar! Who's the guy this week?" _Gabriella said, she was used to this, Sharpay was in love with a different guy every week.

"_Well, you know Zeke from home EC?" _Sharpay said.

"_You mean the one on the basketball team?" _

"_Well we totally bonded over an amazing chocolate cake that we personalized it for me." _Sharpay gushed. _"He asked me to winter formal on the freaking cake!" _

"_Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but you're technically not supposed to bring a date. The whole point of a masquerade," _Said Gabriella.

"_Wow. Your being a bubble burster,." _said Sharpay indignantly. _"Plus no one is following that stupid rule." _

"_Sorry Shar." _She apologized. _"I've been a grouch lately."_

"_I understand." _Sharpay said, _"I'm going to call Tay! Apparently Chad is interested in her! See yea tomorrow." _

The phone clicked as Sharpay hung up the phone.

* * *

"Troy! Troy! Are you even listening?" Chad yelled into Troy's ear as they were 'doing their homework' one night after school.

"What?" Troy said, coming out of his day dream. "Sorry I wasn't listening."

""Well I guessed that much." Chad said sarcastically. "Don't tell me you were thinking about 'her' again."

"Yea, I was," said Troy with a blush, which only made Chad laugh out at him.

"I swear if you don't freaking ask her out, I am going to kill you!" said Chad. "You even found out she lives in our city. For all you know she goes to our school!"

"You don't understand!" Troy said desperately trying to explain his feelings. Which he felt uncomfortable doing with a guy, although Chad was his best friend it was just way to weird.

"Your freaking Troy Bolton, every girl at our school would die to go out with you. This girl can't be much different." Chad said, tossing a ball up in her air, already bored with the conversation.

"She's not like that." Troy said. "Plus who are you to talk? You've had a crush on the same girl since 8th grade. Taylor McKessie."

Chad threw the basketball at Troy which he caught gracefully, and it was his turn to blush. "Well actually, I have a blind date with her this weekend."

"What! When did this happen?" Troy said, keen to get some advice.

"You know how Zeke had this weird crush with Sharpay?" Chad explained.

"Yea," Troy said, "I never understood that. But continue."

"Well, he finally asked her to winter formal today during home EC and I asked him to put in a good word for me. And I am her blind date to the dance." He said proudly. "I'm nervous as hell though."

Troy thought about this. "Well this girl. She's different. She's smart…"

Chad gave him a incredulous look, "And Taylor is dumb?"

He laughed and continued. "She's funny. She's not like all the ditzy girls I've dated in the past. She actually has an opinion. She listens to me. She doesn't go on diets and doesn't care too much about the way she looks. She actually knows the rules to football. She doesn't just watch Hills on MTV but watches the news. She wants to grow up and become a doctor and help people. But I'm the stereotypical high school jock. She's too good for me."

Chad took it all in, and then he said the most obvious thing. "She knows that you're the stereotypical high school jock and she still talks to you right? So she doesn't have a problem with it. Maybe the reason that she doesn't want to meet you is that at school kids see her as the nerd and she knows that at school you're the big man on campus. Maybe she is just intimidated by you. Or in other words she thinks you're too good for her."

Troy's jaw dropped to the ground. What he had said was not only completely true and made total sense, it was the most intellectual thing he had ever heard Chad say.

"What?" Chad said, "I took that psychology class last year."

Troy laughed and threw the basketball at him.

* * *

After the talk with Chad, Troy could eat or sleep. All he could think about was 'her'. His friends joked around and made fun of him. But this was seriously bad. He missed more shots than usual and often found himself day dreaming during practice.

Finally after pestering from Chad he finally decided he was going to confess to her. His heart pounded as if he had one a million suicides (_it's a circuit training exercise.) _as he signed in.

**BASKETBALLboi: **hey.

Troy was sweating bullets as he waited…

**Brains&Beauty: **hey!

**BASKETBALLboi: **answer me truthfully…

**Brains&Beauty: **okay.

**BASKETBALLboi: **Do you go to East High?

**Brains&Beauty: **What??

**BASKETBALLboi: **Just answer please.

**Brains&Beauty: **well… yea…

**BASKETBALLboi: **I have a confession.

**Brains&Beauty: **?

**BASKETBALLboi: **promise not to laugh.

**Brains&Beauty: **okay… I promise. Whoa your starting to freak me out.

**BASKETBALLboi: **I think I love you.

**BASKETBALLboi: **I know it's weird.

**BASKETBALLboi: **We've never even met. But when I talk to you…

**BASKETBALLboi: **There's never a moment when I'm not thinking about you

**BASKETBALLboi: **I don't think there is anyone who knows me as well as you do.

**BASKETBALLboi:** I don't know what love is. I'm only 17. But I've never felt this way about anyone.

**BASKETBALLboi: **Are you still there? Its okay if you don't feel the same way…

**Brains&Beauty: **yea…

**BASKETBALLboi: **I don't want to know your answer now.

**BASKETBALLboi: **let's meet up at the dance tomorrow night. Exactly at 11 PM sharp, on the middle of the dance floor.

**BASKETBALLboi:** bye.

**Brains&Beauty: **wait…

**BASKETBALLboi signed off at 7:57 PM**

Troy was shaking he was so nervous and so relieved. And all the thoughts of rejection came flooding back into his head. He needed to clear his head so he called Chad for a game of three on three with the other boys.

* * *

Gabriella literally pinched herself. She couldn't believe it.

"He loved her. He loved her." She said it over and over again. Soon she was screaming it at the top of her lungs. She felt like dancing and singing. She was so happy!

And then soon her happiness came crashing down.

The dance was tomorrow. She didn't have ticket. She didn't have a dress. She didn't have shoes. She was completely unprepared for this.

And then the insecurities came. There was no way that he could like her. What if it was cruel joke? And then she remembered. Tomorrow night was her mom rehearsal dinner. Even though she had been avoiding her mother… she couldn't skip this. It was her mom, they might have been fighting there was no way she could miss it.

But every Cinderella has a fairy godmother. So Gabriella called hers. And her name was Sharpay.

_**Okay so what do you think? Good! The meeting soon! Reviews please! **_


	6. Chapter 6

Gabriella called Sharpay and Taylor telling them everything that had happened

Gabriella called Sharpay and Taylor telling them everything that had happened. They both squealed in delight and were happy for her. But she was still worried, it was such short notice, she needed shoes, dress, ticked, and her mom's rehearsal dinner was the same night.

"Gabby! No worries, I'll take care of everything." Sharpay said, and before Gabriella could say another word Sharpay hung up.

* * *

Gabriella grabbed her keys and was about to leave for the mall. "Where are you going?" Her mom asked.

"To the mall," She replied putting on her shoes.

"You've been going out lately." Her mom said, but down her book she was reading, "Living With a Teenager".

Gabriella rolled her eyes after seeing the book, but making sure her mom didn't see. "I'm going to buy a dress for the rehearsal dinner tomorrow night." She lied quickly and instantly feeling guilty.

Her mother smiled. "I'm glad you're coming to your senses." She said reaching for her purse and pulled out her wallet. "Here's 200 for a dress and shoes."

"Uh, thanks mom." Gabriella said, feeling guiltier than ever. She still didn't know who she was going to skip out on the dinner.

* * *

Gabriella met Sharpay and Taylor at the shoe department at Nordstrom.

"Hey! Shouldn't I be looking for a dress?" Gabriella asked.

Taylor and Sharpay smiled at each other. "Already taken care of," Sharpay said.

"Now sit!" Taylor said. "You are going to find the perfect shoes, even if we have to try on every shoe in the store."

Sharpay summoned our sales guy, Mark, who measured my foot and whistled for five other sales men, who came carrying box after box of shoes.

"This isn't even half of it." Sharpay said, totally happy to b surrounded my shoes. "This is only 50?" Gabriella gave an exasperated gasp.

"The shoe is Cinderella's secret weapon." She said.

For the next two and a half hours Gabriella tried on shoe after shoe. But she didn't have that 'WOW' moment, the moment she knew she had the right pair of shoes. Or said Sharpay.

Gabriella who didn't enjoy shopping had wanted to give up 150 shoes ago; she wasn't the only one, Mark the sales guy seemed to be getting desperate too.

"Okay Gabby. This is shoe number 200." Taylor said a little wearily, "Last formal shoe in the whole store."

Mark handed Gabriella a cotton candy pink Juicy Couture box and inside was a gold glittery three inch sling back sandal, with chucky raindrop jewels that give detail to the peep toe. **(NA: This is actually a real shoe sold at !) **As soon as I put the shoe on I knew that I had finally found the shoe.

"I think we found it!" said Sharpay happily.

"Most defiantly," agreed Taylor.

Gabriella looked at the price and almost fainted. "Its 278.00 dollars! That's 300 dollars!" She exclaimed.

Gabriella looked in her wallet, she had about 300, her weeks gas money **(NA: gas prices are so crazy now a days!!) **and the 200 her mom had given her. But 300 for a pair of shoes? That was crazy.

"Mark! Wrap it up!" Sharpay said.

"What! Hold it!" Gabriella said, "I need to think this through. I still don't have a dress for the dance and what if I don't even go? I have the rehearsal dinner and no ticket!"

"I told you the dress is taken care of!" Sharpay said. "And I already got you a ticket."

"What? How did you get a ticket?" Gabriella asked.

"My brother's date flaked on him last minute," Sharpay explained. "Bad for him, good for us. Now buy the dang shoes we're going to miss your manicure and pedicure."

So Gabriella bought the shoes, she knew arguing with Sharpay would go no where.

* * *

The girls were back at the Sharpay house all piled onto Sharpay's massive king size bed.

"Okay I know how we are getting you out of the dinner." Taylor said pulling out a little prescription bottle.

"No way, am I doing any kind of drug." Gabriella said, eyeing the prescription bottle.

"Well… than I don't have a plan B."

"Fine, let's hear your plan." Gabriella said giving in.

"Say that you had food poisoning from something foreign you ate at Sharpay's house. This," Taylor said holding up the prescription bottle, "Will make you throw up. When my little brother ate like five marbles last year, the doctor gave him this to throw up."

"EW," said Sharpay.

"I agree with Sharpay that's really gross. Plus won't I be puking all night?" Gabriella asked.

"No. One pill has you puking for two hours. Take half a pill, then you should only throw up for an hour, and that will convince you mom that you are really sick." **(NA: I totally made that up. I don't think it actually exists.) **

"Okay. If this is the only option." Gabriella said and took the bottle.

"Okay so let's go over the plan." Taylor said. "Your mom's rehearsal dinner is at 7:00. The dance starts at 10. Your mom will leave two hours early, an hour to get there and an hour early for set up. You will take the pill at exactly 3:30 PM, since I don't know how long it takes to work. Ryan will pick you up at exactly 5:30 so we know for sure your mom is gone. Then from 5:45 to 8:45 we will be at Sharpay's house getting ready. Then the dance, from 9:00 to 11:45 PM. Your mom's rehearsal dinner is supposed to end at 11:00 and when you account for one hour for traveling she should be home at 12:00 AM, where she will find you in your bed sleeping."

"Sound like a plan…" Gabriella said, "Except I still don't have a dress and I have to bring home a dress and shoes for the dinner for my mom to see, for she's going to get suspicious."

"Well…" Sharpay said walking into her enormous closet, which was roughly the size of a small room. "Here is Burberry dress I wore to my cousins wedding last year and Jimmy Choo shoes to match. You can show these to your mom, and about the dress… I have a surprise."

Gabriella took the dress and shoes and wondered about the dress she would be wearing to the dance. Her heart skipped a beat as Sharpay brought out the dress that she had tried on, the dress from her dreams.

"Oh my god, Sharpay…" Gabriella said. "Is that my dress?"

"Yes." Sharpay said. "You looked so gorgeous in it; I had to buy it for you!"

"But that was 780 dollars! I can't take that from you!" Gabriella said.

"Oh sweetie, think of it as an early birthday gift." Sharpay said, "Plus as my god as fairy god mother I have to provide a dress, and can't let my Cinderella go to the ball in rags."

Gabriella hugged Sharpay and Taylor and started to cry, she really had the best friends in the world.

* * *

**The dance is next! Cinderella is finally meeting her prince! **


End file.
